I guess you are right, for me I just try to avoid all Google links and products in the first place. I understand that you can tweak privacy controls and settings that allow you to manage how your data with Google is collected, I could also use a privacy browser or incognito, but my main issue is not giving any of these juggernaut corporations a chance to swing and cash in on my personal data.
The problem for me is when someone sends me a location pin it is almost always a Google map link. I have the same issue with people in my community using whatsapp.
This reminds me of a time when I was on a bus in Honduras with the entire back third occupied by Nuns, the bus driver put on the action thriller Officer Downe where the scene kicks off with machine gun welding Nuns battling it out in extreme graphic action and gore.. Pretty crazy irony.
What a coincidence, I was looking at the same thing today. I kept seeing recommendations for Affinity Photo, apparently it has a wide range of features for both Windows and macOS users. It's got PSD file support, RAW support, masking, layering, retouching, blemish removal, curving, and a comprehensive set of 16-bit filters.
It's around $50 I think but you own the license forever.
EDIT : I just noticed that this is the Open Source community so I just wanted to mention that Affinity is clearly not that.
Hey, I'm sure I'll be the first to be downvoted, but I've maintained a self-made sourdough starter for 8 years. It's survived spills, falls, mishandling, and everything you can imagine. I've made hundreds of pounds of dough and even started a side pizza business. We've kept it in the refrigerator for months and fed it equally outside when active. We never use whole wheat, only choosing high-protein white all-purpose flour, mixing it 1:1 with equal parts water every day when active. Good luck—it's not rocket surgery, at least from my experience.
Don't stress it, feed it everyday for at least a month, treat it like a pet- good luck!
I guess you are right, for me I just try to avoid all Google links and products in the first place. I understand that you can tweak privacy controls and settings that allow you to manage how your data with Google is collected, I could also use a privacy browser or incognito, but my main issue is not giving any of these juggernaut corporations a chance to swing and cash in on my personal data.